Cartridge-type lipstick container or the like



Aug. 15, 1967 w J LANDEN 3,335,854

CARTRIDGE-TYPE LIPSTICK CONTAINER OR THE LIKE Filed May 19, 1965 1 M ag; I /i INVENTO Mammy/m" mom mag;

? ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,335,854 CARTRIDGE-TYPE LIPSTICK CONTAINER OR THE LIKE William James Landen, Cheshire, Conn., assignor to The International Silver Company, Meriden, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed May 19, 1965, Ser. No. 457,045 Claims. (Cl. 206-56) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is concerned with means for detachably retaining a cartridge-refill lipstick assembly in fully surrounded and enclosed relation to an outer decorative casing. The outer decorative casing is of two-part construction, involving relatively rotatable elements which have separate engagement with the relatively rotatable parts of the cartridge refill, in order to impart actuating movements for use of the lipstick.

My invention relates to an improved lipstick container construction, and in particular to a lipstick of a removable cartridge type wherein the cartridge is removably received in an outer decorative casing.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device of the character indicated.

Another object is to provide a cartridge-type refill container construction featuring improved locking engagement between the parts when the cartridge is received in the housing.

A further object is to meet the above objects with a device in which adequately positive locking action is assured as long as the parts are assembled, and yet they may be unlocked by simple manipulation.

It is a specific object to meet the foregoing objects with a construction of the character indicated wherein all parts of the cartridge are fully contained within the outer decorative casing even when the closure cap is removed to permit use of the lipstick.

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention will be pointed out or will be apparent to those skilled in the art with a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of an assembly according to the invention with a cartridge refill received in the base assembly of the outer decorative housing, the closure cap being suggested in phantom outline;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view in perspective, decorative housing parts and a refill cartridge;

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation with housing parts shown in section and with part of the cartridge broken away and shown in section in order to reveal coaction of parts; FIG. 4 is a crosssectional view taken in the plane line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken in the plane 55 of FIG. 3.

Briefly stated, the invention contemplates a snap-lock or detent retaining means for detachably retaining a cartridge refill lipstick assembly in fully surrounded and enclosed relation to an outer decorative casing. The outer decorative casing is of two-part construction involving relatively rotatable elements which have separate engagement with the relatively rotatable parts of the cartridge refill in order to impart actuating movements for use of the lipstick. The particular embodiment to be described has the feature of lending itself to construction of a completely assembled casing and cartridge which present a uniform diameter for the full assembly length.

showng Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the invention is shown in application to a cartridge'refill container designated generally 10, removably received within detachable parts of an outer decorative housing member, the upper or sleeve part of which is designated 11 and the lower or cup-shaped part of which is designated 12. The upper and lower housing parts 11-12 are detachably securable to each other, and when so secured, nevertheless permit relative rotation, the upper housing part 11 being engaged to the upper cartridge element or sleeve 13, and the lower housing member 12 being engaged to the base operating member 14 of the cartridge 10. In the form shown, the upper end 15 of the sleeve 11 is tubular and of a reduced diameter for frictional or other rotary driving engagement with the sleeve part 13 of the cartridge 10, a lateral ridge or nib 16 being shown formed outwardly of the cartridge sleeve 13 to assure adequate [fridtidnal engagement with the' bore of the reduced tubular end 15. A radially inward lip 17 at the open end of the casing sleeve 11 serves as an axial positioning element for containing the open end of the cartridge 10 and, being rounded as shown, it additionally facilitates application of a closure cap, suggested in phantom outline at 18 in FIG. 1. Friction nibs 19 formed on the reduced sleeve end 15 serve to detachably hold the closure cap 18.

The main body 20 of the housing sleeve 11 is of enlarged diameter which, for aesthetic purposes, may be precisely the diameter of the closure cap 18. A radial shoulder 21 connects the tubular parts 1520 of the housing sleeve 11 and serves as a positioning or locating stop for the closure cap 18.

As indicated, the lower or cup-shaped part 12 of the housing has driving engagement with the base operating member 14 of the cartridge 10. This function may be achieved by providing keyed elements such as elongated fiutings about the periphery of the base operating handle 14, but in the form shown the bottom closure panel 22 of the base 14 is concaved with suitable non-circular formations such as polygonal flats suggested at 23 in FIG. 2 for keyed engagement with a similarly formed depression 24 in the bottom closure 25 of the housing part 12.

Since the separate halves 11-12 of the decorative casing must rotate with respect to each other, I provide smooth action by establishing an elongated bearing surface 26 of diameter reduced at shoulder 27 from the main externally exposed lower part 28 of the cup-shaped housing member 12, and the bearing portion 26 is designed to fit with smooth running clearance the bore of the upper housing sleeve 11. When assembled, axial overlap is established between the parts 11-12 to the extent designated D in FIG. 3, and in accordance with the invention, I provide resilient detent mechanism for retaining this assembled relation of parts. Such retention comprises a groove on one of the parts facing the other part, with said other part having a detent formation projecting into axially retained relation with the groove. In the form shown, the detent projections are formed at 29 as radially inward projections of the main sleeve body 20 at angularly spaced locations as, for example, at three angularly spaced points. The circumferential groove is shown at 30 near the upper end of the reduced portion 26 of the cup-shaped housing member 12.

It will be seen that I have disclosed an improved cartridge refill and housing construction which is of extremely simple form, which is positive in its action, and which completely encases the cartridge and yet provides for positive actuation of the cartridge at all times. For certain applications, it is important to meet the aesthetic requirements of a customer to provide an over all assembly which is characterized by uniform diameter throughout its length, and the present invention is seen to lend itself readily to meet such requirement.

While I have described the invention in detail in connection with the preferred form illustrated, it will be understood that modifications may be made Within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In combination, a lipstick or the like container cartridge comprising two relatively rotatable parts and propulsion mechanism for expelling lipstick or the like out one end thereof, one of said rotatable parts being a base actuating member, a cup-shaped housing member having an opening removably receiving the base end of said cartridge and having key engagement with said base end, an outer housing sleeve including a reduced upper tubular end having friction engagement with the other rotatable cartridge part, a radial shoulder terminating said reduced upper end, an enlarged lower tubular end connected by said shoulder to said upper end, parts of said lower end and of said housing member being in axially overlapping and relatively rotatable relation, said reduced upper sleeve end including a radially inwardly directed lip in axially limiting relation with the upper end of said cartridge, and detent means retaining said axially overlapping and relatively rotatable relation.

2. The combination of claim 1, in which said detent means comprises a circumferential groove on said cupshaped housing member and a radially inward detent formation on said sleeve and received in said groove.

3. In combination, a rotary lipstick or the like container cartridge having a base operating end and an applicator end for exposing lipstick or the like to be applied, said ends being rotatable with respect to each other to propel and repel lipstick or the like at said applicator end, a cup-shaped housing member having an opening removably receiving the base end of said cartridge, said base end having a circumferentially extending enlargement with non-circular key formations for engagement with similarly formed key formations within the bore of said opening upon cartridge insertion in said housing member, an outer housing sleeve including a reduced upper tubular end with a radially inwardly directed lip to retain the upper end of said cartridge, said upper end having friction engagement with the applicator end of said cartridge, a radial shoulder terminating said reduced upper end, an enlarged lower tubular end connected bysaid shoulder to said upper end, parts of said lower end and of said housing member being in axially overlapping and relatively rotatable relation, one of said overlapping parts having a circumferential groove facing the other of said overlapping parts, said other overlapping part including a radial detent projection received in said groove, and a closure cap removably received with friction en gagernent over said reduced upper end and against said shoulder.

4. The combination of claim 3, in which said friction engagement of said upper sleeve end to said cartridge applicator end involves a radial nib on one of said ends and in frictional interfering relation with the other of said ends.

5. The combination of claim 3, in which at the region of overlap of said parts said cup-shaped housing member includes a reduced tubular portion fitted within the enlarged lower tubular end of said housing sleeve, said reduced portion being connected to the remainder of said cup-shaped housing member by a shoulder serving to limit axial overlap of said parts.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,074,016 3/ 1937 Coryell 206-56 FOREIGN PATENTS I 218,876 12/1958 Australia. 1,052,053 9/ 1953 France.

731,013 6/1955 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

MARTHA L. RICE, Examiner. 

3. IN COMBINATION, A ROTARY LIPSTICK OR THE LIKE CONTAINER CARTRIDGE HAVING A BASE OPERATING END AND AN APPLICATOR END FOR EXPOSING LIPSTICK OR THE LIKE TO BE APPLIED, SAID ENDS BEING ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER TO PROPEL AND REPEL LIPSTICK OR THE LIKE AT SAID APPLICATOR END, A CUP-SHAPED HOUSING MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING REMOVABLY RECEIVING THE BASE END OF SAID CARTRIDGE, SAID BASE END HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING ENLARGEMENT WITH NON-CIRCULAR KEY FORMATIONS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SIMILARLY FORMED KEY FORMATIONS WITHIN THE BORE OF SAID OPENING UPON CARTRIDGE INSERTION IN SAID HOUSING MEMBER, AN OUTER HOUSING SLEEVE INCLUDING A REDUCED UPPER TUBULAR END WITH A RADIALLY INWARDLY DIRECTED LIP TO RETAIN THE UPPER END OF SAID CARTRIDGE, SAID UPPER END HAVING FRICTION ENGAGEMENT WITH THE APPLICATOR END OF SAID CARTRIDGE, A RADIAL SHOULDER TERMINATING SAID REDUCED UPPER END, AN ENLARGED LOWER TUBULAR END CONNECTED BY SAID SHOULDER TO SAID UPPER END, PARTS OF SAID LOWER END AND OF SAID HOUSING MEMBER BEING IN AXIALLY OVERLAPPING AND RELATIVELY ROTATABLE RELATION, ONE OF SAID OVERLAPPING PARTS HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE FACING THE OTHER OF SAID OVERLAPPING PARTS, SAID OTHER OVERLAPPING PART INCLUDING A RADIAL DETENT PROJECTION RECEIVED IN SAID GROOVE, AND A CLOSURE CAP REMOVABLY RECEIVED WITH FRICTION ENGAGEMENT OVER SAID REDUCED UPPER END AND AGAINST SAID SHOULDER. 